Senator Worked to Secure Language, Funding to Help North Dakota Flood Projects CompeteSenator Worked to Secure Language to Support North Dakota Flood Projects

WASHINGTON – Senator John Hoeven announced today that the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee on Energy and Water has included language and funding in its Fiscal Year (FY) 2016 appropriations bill that supports flood projects for Fargo, Minot and LaMoure. As a member of the committee, Hoeven worked to secure the provisions, which will help these communities move forward on flood protection projects. Specifically, this legislation:

Provides for new start to fund construction of permanent flood protection projects with an emphasis on public private partnerships like the permanent flood protection project for Fargo and the Red River Valley.

Provides for new starts to fund studies for permanent flood protection, which is vital for communities like Minot and the Souris River Valley to develop and build comprehensive flood protection.

Increases the Corps’ funding for water development infrastructure by $10 million over FY2015. This increase will help communities like LaMoure with funding to replace sanitary sewer systems, which are routinely overwhelmed due to deteriorated pipes and high ground water.

“We are working hard to support our communities’ efforts to address flood issues across North Dakota,” said Hoeven. “We have secured relief for many of our residents through investments in infrastructure, water retention and affordable flood insurance. Today’s bill continues that progress for Fargo, Minot and LaMoure by giving the Corps the authority and funding it needs to help move these projects forward.”

Throughout his time in the Senate, Hoeven has worked to provide communities with the support and resources they need to permanently address flooding issues in the state. Earlier this month, Senators Hoeven and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) introduced the Move America Act, legislation that expands tax-exempt private activity bonds and creates a new infrastructure tax credit, providing flexible funding for flood control projects in Fargo and other communities.

During a Senate Appropriations Committee hearing in February, Hoeven urged Corps officials, including Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works Jo-Ellen Darcy and Lieutenant General Thomas P. Bostick, to view the Fargo project as a candidate for the public-private partnership option and did the same with Office of Management and Budget Director Shaun Donovan in a meeting the month before. The senator emphasized that this option would prevent delays in the construction of the project, leverage private investment and reduce costs.